Nanoelectronic structure and method of producing such

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to semiconductor devices comprising semiconductor nanoelements. In particular the invention relates to devices having a volume element having a larger diameter than the nanoelement arranged in epitaxial connection to the nanoelement. The volume element is being doped in order to provide a high charge carrier injection into the nanoelement and a low access resistance in an electrical connection. The nanoelement may be upstanding from a semiconductor substrate. A concentric layer of low resistivity material forms on the volume element forms a contact.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the methods and structures for controlling access resistance and conductivity characteristics of nanoelement devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Nanostructures include so-called one-dimensional nanoelements, essentially in one-dimensional form, that are of nanometer dimensions in their width and diameter, and are commonly known as nanowires, nanowhiskers, nanorods, nanotubes, etc. For the purpose of this application the term nanoelement is used. As regards e.g. nanowires and nanowhiskers, the basic process of nanostructure formation on substrates by the so-called VLS (vapor-liquid-solid) mechanism is well known. However, the present invention is limited to neither the nanowires nor the VLS process, e.g. selectively grown nanowires and nanostructures, etched structures, other nanoelements, and structures fabricated from nanowires are also included, although the description is focused on VLS-grown nanowires. Methods for growing nanowires on semiconductor substrates are described in U.S. Published Applications 2003/010244 and 2004/0075464.

Semiconductor nanoelement devices show great promise, potentially outperforming standard electrical, opto-electrical, and sensor—etc. semiconductor devices. These devices can utilize certain nanoelement specific properties, 2D, 1D, or 0D quantum confinement, flexibility in axial material variation due to less lattice match restrictions, antenna properties, ballistic transport, wave guiding properties etc. Furthermore, in order to design first rate semiconductor devices from nanoelements, i.e. transistors, light emitting diodes, semiconductor lasers, and sensors, and to fabricate efficient contacts, particularly with low access resistance, to such devices, the ability to dope and fabricate doped regions is crucial. The general importance of doping is easily exemplified by the basic pn-junction, a structure being a critical part of several device families, where the built in voltage is established by doping of the p and n regions.

As an example the limitations in the commonly used planar technology are related to difficulties in making field effect transistors, FET, with low access resistance, the difficulty to control the threshold voltage in the post-growth process, the presence of short-channel effects as the planar gate length is reduced, and the lack of suitable substrate and lattice-matched heterostructure material for the narrow band gap technologies.

One advantage of a nanoelement FET is the possibility to tailor the band structure along the transport channel using segments of different band gap and or doping levels. This allows for a reduction in both the source-to-gate and gate-to-drain access resistance. These segments may be incorporated directly during the growth, which is not possible in the planar technologies.

The doping of nanoelements is challenged by several factors. Physical incorporation of dopants into the nanoelement crystal may be inhibited, but also the established carrier concentration from a certain dopant concentration may be lowered as compared to the corresponding doped bulk semiconductor. One factor that limits the physical incorporation and solubility of dopants in nanoelements is that the nanoelement growth temperatures very often are moderate. U.S.25006673 teaches a method of providing charge carriers to a nanowhisker from adjacent layers.

For VLS grown nanoelements, the solubility and diffusion of dopant in the catalytic particle will influence the dopant incorporation. One related effect, with similar long term consequences, is the out-diffusion of dopants in the nanoelement to surface sites. Though not limited to VLS grown nanoelements, it is enhanced by the high surface to volume ratio of the nanoelement. Also, the efficiency of the doping—the amount of majority charge carriers established by ionization of donors/acceptor atoms at a certain temperature may be lowered compared to the bulk semiconductor, caused by an increase in donor or acceptor effective activation energy, due to the small dimensions of the nanoelement. Surface depletion effects, decreasing the volume of the carrier reservoir, will also be increased due to the high surface to volume ratio of the nanoelement.

The above described effects are not intended to establish a complete list, and the magnitudes of these effects vary with nanoelement material, dopant, and nanoelement dimensions. They may all be strong enough to severely decrease device performance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Prior art semiconductors in small dimensions have drawbacks with regards to access resistance and conductivity characteristics.

The embodiments of the present invention reduce or overcome some or all of the drawbacks of the prior art.

The semiconductor nanoelement device according to the embodiments of the invention comprises at least one semiconductor nanoelement. The semiconductor device is arranged to be electrically connectable. The device comprises a semiconductor volume element with a larger diameter than the nanoelement arranged in epitaxial connection to the nanoelement. The volume element is doped, typically to a high degree, and provides a high charge carrier injection into the nanoelement. Additionally the volume elements facilitate a low access resistance in an electrical connection made to the device.

The nanoelement may further protrude from a semiconductor substrate.

The volume element may be arranged in a wrap around configuration, enclosing an end portion of the nanoelement, on top of the nanoelement or along the nanoelement circumferential surface of the nanoelement.

The nanoelement and volume element may comprise concentric layers being a semiconductor material of different composition or doping as compared to the nanoelement or volume element respectively, a dielectric material or a low resistivity material (i.e., an electrically conductive material), such as a metal or metal alloy.

A low resistivity contact for semiconductor device according to the present invention may be formed by having a volume element concentric layer being a low resistivity material.

Thus, it is possible to provide new and improved nano-engineered structures for semiconductor devices, comprising nanoelements connected in series with volume elements with essentially larger dimensions having improved conductivity characteristics.

It is a further advantage of the embodiments of the invention to provide new and improved nano-engineered structures for semiconductor devices, comprising nanoelements connected in series with volume elements, wherein the structures comprise improved/tailored pn-junctions.

Embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims. Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of different configurations of funnel structures comprising one nanoelement with a volume element on top and three schematic cross sections of the nanoelement,

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a funnel structure with a volume element with a low resistivity contact on the circumferential and top surfaces, arranged in a wrap around configuration on a nanoelement that is upstanding on a semiconductor substrate,

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a semiconductor device comprising an intrinsic GaAs nanoelement, a p-type GaAs substrate underneath the nanoelement, a heavily n-doped InGaP volume element arranged in a wrap around configuration on the nanoelement, a SiO₂ layer surrounding the nanoelement and partly the volume element, and Ti/Au contacts deposited on both sides of the device, whereby a pn-junction is formed in the nanoelement,

FIG. 4 is a band diagram showing the energy levels in a funnel structure according to FIG. 3, where the band gap of the volume element is larger than for the nanoelement,

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of EWIGFET in InAs, where the doping and diameter are designed so that the channel is closed at zero gate bias, and a volume element on top ensures a low access resistance,

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a FET device comprising an intrinsic GaAs nanoelement upstanding on a p⁺-GaP:Zn substrate with a gate electrode and a highly n-doped InGaP volume element arranged in a wrap around configuration on the nanoelement,

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of an array of FET devices according to FIG. 6, however with the volume element arranged on top of the nanoelement,

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of an array of three identical LEDs comprising a p-GaAs nanoelement, upstanding on a p-GaP substrate, with a concentric layer of InGaP, a dielectric layer, e.g. SiO₂ enclosing the nanoelement, a n⁺-InGaP:Si volume element and a ITO contact deposited on the circumferential and top surfaces of the volume element,

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a semiconductor device intended for storing charge with a dielectric layer and conductive layer arranged on top of a nanoelement-volume element structure,

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a volume element (p)-nanoelement-volume element (n) structure,

FIG. 11 is a schematic sectional view of a volume element (n)-nanoelement-volume element (n) structure and a volume element (p)-nanoelement-volume element (p) structure,

FIG. 12 is a funnel structure comprising a p⁺ volume element in series with a intrinsic nanoelement and a n-type nanoelement, wherein the doping levels and dimensions are adjusted to have a pn-junction with essentially the whole depletion region located in the nanoelement, making it functional as a sensor,

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of a funnel structure with three heterostructure segments in a nanoelement extending with a volume element in contact with a semiconductor substrate enclosing the first heterostructure segment,

FIG. 14 is a scanning electron microscope micrograph showing a funnel structure according to FIG. 13,

FIG. 15 is a cross sectional view of a volume element-nanoelement funnel structure with one nanoelement enclosed in the volume element and another nanoelement arranged on top of the volume element,

FIG. 16 is a scanning electron microscope micrograph showing a funnel structure according to FIG. 15,

FIG. 17 is a sectional view of a volume element arranged on a relatively short nanoelement enabling lattice mismatch between the volume element and the substrate,

FIG. 18 is a cross sectional view of a volume element arranged on a short nanoelement contacting a patterned low resistivity layer on a substrate, and

FIG. 19 is an illustration of one processing scheme for a LED device utilizing VLS growth of a nanoelement and growth of a volume element on top.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

A semiconductor device according to the embodiments of the present invention opens new possibilities for the implementation of different electronic and photonic semiconductor devices, particularly in small dimensions.

The embodiments of present invention decrease general difficulties associated with doping of nanoelements, and to establish an alternative and feasible route to the doping of nanoelements, not only for when doping is complicated by the dimensions or the fabrication methods of such nanoelements, but also for providing new possibilities by the different prerequisites and for decreasing access resistances to electrical and optical devices made from nanoelements.

While there are certain limitations in semiconductor devices in small dimensions fabricated using planar technology, nanoelement technology, in particular nanowire technology, allows for greater flexibility and greater possibility to tailor the performance by e.g. tailoring the band structure along the nanostructure using segments of different band gap and/or doping levels. Although reasoning about nanoelements hereinafter mainly is referred to the mentioned nanowire technology, in particular VLS grown nanowires, the present invention is, as appreciated by a skilled person, applicable on nanoelement semiconductor devices in general, irrespective of specific kind of nanoelements utilized.

For a majority of nanoelement devices it is important to decrease access resistances in order to increase device efficiency. The nanoelement format in itself is not optimal from this perspective as the elongated nature and low area of the nanoelement cross-section will build device resistance. The main tools of fabricating low resistance contacts, a task complicated by the intrinsically low contact-surfaces given by the nanoelement geometry, are high doping and low band gap adjustment on the semiconductor side of the contact, but as mentioned, the doping of nanoelements is challenged by several factors. The access to sufficient and accurate doping and a large contact surface without appreciably increasing device length and access resistance would be beneficial for all types of semiconductor devices.

However, certain other parts of a nanoelement device are not in need of high doping, or, their doping-level is of less priority and can be balanced against other design parameters. There are also devices where doping of critical parts will decrease device performance. Such examples of contra-productive doping effects are non-emitting impurity levels in an optical region or impurity scattering, decreasing mobility, in a field effect channel.

The embodiments of the present invention provide a nanostructure, a so called funnel structure, comprising an epitaxial structure with at least one essentially one-dimensional nanoelement and at least one element extending in three dimensions, having a large volume and a large surface, hereinafter referred to as a volume element. The challenging doping procedures for nanoelements may be avoided, the processing is simplified and more reliable, the access resistance may be decreased, both due to doping and to an increased contact surface, the advantages of using a nanoelement may be utilized, and new applications and possibilities for nanoelement semiconductor devices open up.

In principle, the funnel structure comprises one nanoelement portion, possibly with all the attractive properties of such an element, and one epitaxially connected wider portion with an inherently large surface, a volume element portion, not necessarily of nanometer dimension adjacent to the nanoelement, where nanoelement properties are of less importance and rather bulk-like properties, enabling the volume element to easily be highly doped, are desired. Nevertheless, the volume element, although not necessarily of nanometer dimension, may have some nanoelement properties, such as the ability to grow a crystalline structure with segments of different composition and without detrimental defects, not possible in using planar technology. In some embodiments, the volume element may be a relatively thick shell that is epitaxially grown only around the one portion of the nanowire. The volume element is preferably sufficiently thick and long such that it has bulk semiconductor like doping characteristics rather than 1D nanowire-like doping characteristics. For example, the nanoelement may have a diameter in the order of 100 nm to 500 nm, and the volume element a diameter in the order of 500 nm to 1000 nm, i.e. a thickness preferably on the order of 150 nm greater, such as about 200 nm.

The funnel structure works as a carrier reservoir enabling high carrier injection into the nanoelement from a region with well defined doping where low resistance contacts easily can be fabricated, preferably in a wrap around configuration in order to increase contact area and minimize distance between the nanoelement and the contact. The three-dimensional part of the funnel has a certain volume and thickness, eliminating the challenges in doping of one-dimensional nanoelements, in order to achieve the necessary doping concentration and profiles, to decrease internal series resistance and contact resistance, increase carrier injection into the nanoelement, to establish desired built-in-voltage, and to provide a large contact surface. The low internal resistance and the increased amount of carriers due to the funnel nature provide a high injection of majority carriers into the nanoelement already at low forward voltages.

An apparent application of the funnel structure is for establishing a low resistance connection to a terminal that needs to be separated from other connected circuitry to decrease capacitance in the circuitry. Low resistance and stable ohmic contacts, and in some cases Schottky contacts, are desired for most semiconductor devices. The funnel structure may advantageously also be used as a light emitting diode or a pin detector (i.e., photodectotor based on a diode, such as p-i-n diode). Moreover the funnel structure may be implemented in a nanoelement FET (field effect transistor) device wherein access resistance is decreased by utilizing funnel structures between drain/gate and/or source/gate. The increased surface area of a nanoelement device, due to a volume element, is not only important as means for reducing the access resistance, but also provides a large contact surface for a dielectric covering the volume element, enabling charge storage in e.g. a memory device. It is well known that the resistance arisen from the heterojunction discontinuity in valence or conduction band between two semiconductors or, similarly, the resistance from the Schottky barrier between a semiconductor and a metal can be decreased by high doping. The increased doping will decrease the width of the barrier and facilitate carriers to tunnel through the barrier effectively decreasing contact resistance.

According to common nomenclature, donor doped material is n-type and acceptor doped material is p-type. The “n” indicates that electrons are charge carriers and consequently the “p” indicates that holes are the charge carriers. The pure and undoped material is called intrinsic, but may naturally be n- or p-type. The conductivity is varied by adding different amount of dopants. A region that is highly doped is in the figures and hereinafter denoted with a “+” sign.

As shown in FIG. 1, the funnel structure of one embodiment comprises a nanoelement 100 and a volume element 105. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the nanoelement 100 comprises an intrinsic semiconductor (which may naturally be n or p-type as deposited) forming a first elongated cylinder, and the volume element 105 comprises of a heavily doped semiconductor forming a second cylinder or sphere, with a larger diameter, epitaxially grown on one end portion of the nanoelement 100. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the volume element 105 may be in a wrap around configuration where the volume element 105 partly encloses the nanoelement 100 end portion, such as the upper end portion, but does not enclose the lower portion of the nanoelement 100 adjacent to the substrate 110. The funnel structure is commonly upstanding on the surface of a semiconductor substrate 110. The funnel structure may be upstanding at 90 degrees or at a different angle with respect to the substrate 110.

Other configurations of the nanoelement 100 and volume element 105 shape(s) and connection are possible. Some exemplary connections 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 are shown in FIG. 1. The volume element 105 may be arranged in sequence (10, 11) with the nanoelement 100 or the nanoelement 100 may extend through the volume element 105, either continuing beyond (13) the volume element 105 or ending at the end (12) of the volume element 105. Since different materials and processing may be employed to fabricate the nanoelements, different shapes are possible for the nanoelements. For example, the volume elements 105 can be cylindrical, rounded (mushroom shaped) (14), or slanted (15) at the part enclosing the nanoelement 100. The cross-sections of the nanoelement 100 and the volume element 105 s are not necessarily circular (16), but may be polygonal (17), such as hexagonal, due to the crystal structure of the material, or hollow (18).

One embodiment of the present invention is funnel structure, as illustrated in FIG. 2, comprising, from the bottom, a nanoelement 100 of a semiconductor that is intrinsically p-type, upstanding on a semiconductor substrate 110 that is p-doped, forming a first elongated cylinder, with a diameter of about 100 nm and a length of about 2 μm, a heavily n-doped volume element 105 forming a second cylinder with an essentially larger diameter, i.e. about 500 nm, and a length of about 750 nm, arranged on top of the nanoelement 100, whereby the volume element 105 encloses the top portion, for example the upper 250 nm, of the nanoelement 100 in a wrapped around configuration, and a low resistance contact formed by a concentric layer 106 covering the top and mantle (side) surface(s) of the volume element 105. More specifically the semiconductor substrate 110 in connection with the nanoelement 100 is p-doped GaAs, the nanoelement 100 is an intrinsically p-type GaAs nanowire, the volume element 105 is n⁺-doped GaP, and the low resistivity contact 106 is an ITO (InSnO) layer with a thickness of 10 nm. Due to the doped regions, a pn-junction is formed somewhere in the region between the substrate 110 and the volume element 105.

The dimensions given for the nanoelement 100 and volume element 105 in the embodiments are by way of example only, and the length and diameter of the nanoelement and the diameter and height of the volume element 105 may be varied, within certain limits. The length of the nanoelement 100 may be as short as a few epitaxial layers if the purpose of the nanoelement 100 only is to make it feasible to grow a three-dimensional volume element 105 on the substrate. In general the volume element 105 diameter preferably is at least 50 nm wider than the diameter of the nanoelement 100. Moreover the maximum diameter of the volume element 105 is dependent on the device density.

Another embodiment, shown in FIG. 3, is a similar funnel structure to the foregoing example, comprising an intrinsic GaAs nanoelement 100, a p-GaAs substrate 110, a n⁺-InGaP volume element 105, a filler layer 120 of SiO₂ (or another suitable insulating material) enclosing the whole nanoelement 100 and partly the volume element 105, and thin film Ti/Au contacts (106, 113) on the top surface of the structure and bottom surface of the substrate 110 respectively.

The band diagram, schematically illustrated in FIG. 4, of such a funnel structure, shows the pn-junction formed in the nanoelement 100 with the volume element 105 and the substrate 110 respectively as the doped regions. The exact location and extension of the depletion zone is dependent on the doping concentrations and profiles, geometry, etc.

Obviously other embodiments of the present invention with different combinations of materials and of doping types are possible, e.g. a p-type volume element 105 and an n-type one-dimensional nanoelement 100 and substrate 110. Suitable materials for the substrate include, but is not limited to, 110 Si, GaAs, GaP, GaP:Zn, GaAs, InAs, InP, GaN, Al₂O₃, SiC, Ge, GaSb, ZnO, InSb, SOI (silicon-on-insulator), CdS, ZnSe, CdTe, etc. Suitable materials for the nanoelements 100 and the volume elements 105 include, bit is not limited to: GaAs (p), InAs, Ge, ZnO, InN, GaInN, GaN AlGaInN, BN, InP, InAsP, GaInP, InGaP:Si, InGaP:Zn, GaInAs, AlInP, GaAlInP, GaAlInAsP, GaInSb, InSb, Si, etc. Possible donor dopants are, but not limited to, for e.g. GaP are Si, Sn, Te, Se, S, etc, and acceptor dopants for the same material are Zn, Fe, Mg, Be, Cd, etc. A person skilled in the art is familiar with these and other materials and realizes that other materials and material combinations are possible. The doping level is dependent on the type of semiconductor. As an example GaAs is intrinsic at 10¹⁶ cm⁻³, hence a typical doping level in the nanoelement 100 is 10¹⁶-10¹⁷ cm⁻³ and 10¹⁷-10 ²⁰ in the volume element, depending on the dimensions and the conditions in the manufacturing process. However, it should be mentioned that measuring the doping level in nanoelements is challenging and methods for measuring the doping level in nanoelements with high accuracy are not perfected at the present day.

The appropriateness of low resistivity contact materials are dependent on the material to be deposited on, but metal, metal alloys as well as non-metal compounds like Al, Al—Si, TiSi₂, TiN, W, MoSi₂, PtSi, CoSi₂, WSi₂, In, AuGa, AuSb, AuGe, PdGe, Ti/Pt/Au, Ti/Al/Ti/Au, Pd/Au, ITO (InSnO), etc and combinations of e.g. metal and ITO can be used. However, the single and combination contacts are not limited to these materials.

One embodiment of the present invention is a semiconductor device, wherein a volume element 105 is arranged in a wrap around configuration on an end portion of a nanoelement 100, as shown in FIG. 3, and the nanoelement 100 is doped and has less than half of the donor or acceptor dopant concentration of the volume element 105.

One embodiment of the present invention is a funnel structure according to FIG. 3, wherein the generally one-dimensional nanoelement 100 is modulation doped by the volume element 105. Thereby the volume element material has a higher band gap than the nanoelement material and due to the doping charge carriers diffuse from the volume element 105 into the nanoelement 100. This is advantageous when doping in combination with high carrier mobility is needed.

One embodiment of the present invention is a semiconductor device comprising a nanoelement-volume element funnel structure, wherein the nanoelement 100 extends partly through the volume element 105, i.e. a wrap around configuration, and wherein the nanoelement 100 changes composition, e.g. from GaAs to GaAsP, approximately where the volume element 105 begins.

Another embodiment is based on a funnel structure comprising a volume element 105 on a nanoelement 100 with a wrap around configuration, wherein the volume element 105 composition gradually approaches or approximately has the same composition as the volume element 105 approximately where the volume element 105 begins. However, the composition of the nanoelement below the volume element may be different from the composition of the volume element.

One embodiment of the present invention is a semiconductor device comprising a nanoelement-volume element funnel structure, wherein the nanoelement 100 is doped to the same conductivity type as the volume element 105. This may be necessary when the nanoelement 100 cannot be doped to the required doping level. An additional carrier injection from the volume element 105 is needed. In addition the access resistance is decreased.

Due to the nanometer dimensions of the nanoelements 100 it is also possible to selectively change the composition along the length thereof, to grow a nanoelement of one composition onto a substrate 110 of another composition, and to form heterojunctions, with maintaining epitaxy despite a significant lattice mismatch. In particular, this allows for attaching a volume element 105 according to the embodiments of the present invention, which is otherwise not possible to grow on the substrate, to the substrate via a nanoelement 100 without introducing significant defects. Heterostructures along the length of the nanoelement 100 or in the volume element 105 may be introduced to enable the semiconductor device to carry out a desired function or to perform according to certain requirements. A heterostructure in a nanoelement comprises at least two lengthwise segments of different composition and/or doping, a first segment of a first material and a second segment of a second material. An epitaxial boundary is present between the first and the second segment, the boundary being limited to a number of lattice planes, wherein the composition or doping changes gradually. In analogy, a heterostructure in a volume element comprises a plurality of concentric segments of different composition.

The nanoelement 100 can be doped to the same or different conductivity when compared to the three-dimensional volume element 105. High doping and low band gap adjustment on the semiconductor side of the contact, as mentioned, a usual tool for reducing the access resistance in common nanoelement devices, can be utilized also for the volume element 105 in the present invention. Moreover the doping level of the volume element 105 may gradually change from the interface to the outer surface, i.e. gradient doping of the volume element 105.

In certain applications, it is advantageous to have heterostructures of the nanoelement 100 and/or the volume element 105 comprising concentric layers of materials of different compositions and/or doping levels. Such a concentric layer of the nanoelement 100 or volume element 105 can also be a dielectric material, or a low resistivity material, e.g. a metal, enclosing at least partly the nanoelement 100 or volume element 105. For example modulation doping, mentioned above, of the nanoelement 100 can be obtained by use of a concentric layer of a doped semiconductor material with a higher band gap than the core material. Typical semiconductor material utilized in concentric layers of the nanoelement 100 and volume element 105 are Ga/As/AlGaAS, AlSb, Si, GaP, InP, InAs, InGaP InPSb, GaInPSb, AlPSb, GaAsSb, InAsP, Al, AlAs, GaAlInAsP, etc. However, the choice of semiconductor materials is not limited to these materials.

One embodiment of the present invention that comprises heterostructures along the nanoelement 100 and a concentric layer on the nanoelement 100 is an enhancement nanowire wrap insulating gate field effect transistor (EWIGFET), as illustrated in the schematic sectional view in FIG. 5. The transistor comprises a nanoelement, in this case a VLS grown nanowire, upstanding on a InAs substrate 110, with a first n⁺-InAs nanoelement segment 100 a, a second intrinsic n-type InAs nanoelement segment 100 b and a third n⁺-InAs nanoelement segment 100 c, a thin concentric layer 101 of a dielectric material enclosing the part of the nanoelement segments 100 a, 100 b, 100 c that are not enclosed in a n⁺-InAs volume element 105 arranged on top of the nanoelement segment 100 c. Further, a gate electrode 125 in a wrap around configuration is provided in between two filler layers 120, 121 that fill the volume surrounding the nanoelement segments 100 a, 100 b, 100 c and partly also the volume element 105. The dielectric material 101 may act as a gate insulating layer between the gate 125 and the channel 100 b of the transistor. A thin film Ni contact 106 is deposited on the top surface of the device. The volume element 105 is utilized to decrease the access resistance partly by doping of the volume element 105 and partly by increasing the contact surface area. The nanoelement 100 in the EWIGFET is made of InAs, wherein the doping and diameter are designed so that the channel is closed at zero gate bias. However the same design applies to other materials than InAs, like InSb, InP, GaAs, Ge and Si. A DWIGFET is obtained when the doping levels are increased in such a way that the channel remains open at zero gate bias.

In another embodiment, the WIGFET structure described above is simplified and the challenging doping of the nanoelement 100 is excluded. As shown in FIG. 6, an intrinsically p-type GaAs nanoelement 100, with a portion of the nanoelement 100 enclosed in a thin concentric layer 101 of a dielectric material, e.g. SiO₂, is upstanding on a p⁺-GaP:Zn substrate 110 with a n⁺ InGaP volume element 105 arranged on top of the nanoelement 100, enclosing the portion of the nanoelement that is not covered by the concentric layer 101. A gate electrode 125 is provided in a wrap around configuration along a small portion of the nanoelement 100 between the volume element 105 and the substrate 110. The heavy doping of the volume element 105 makes it a carrier reservoir for the undoped nanoelement 100 and creates a pn-junction in the nanoelement 100. By applying a voltage to the gate electrode 125 a current flows in the nanoelement 100. Layer 101 functions as a gate insulating layer of the transistor. If the gate insulating layer is omitted, then a MESFET type transistor is formed.

Another embodiment of the present invention, similar to the WIGFET structure described above, is a FET structure according to FIG. 7. In this cross sectional view, an array of three FET structures is shown, wherein the volume element 105 is arranged on top of the nanoelement 100 instead of in a wrap around configuration as in FIG. 6.

Furthermore the nanoelement-volume element architecture enhances both electrical and optical performance of a LED. The volume element 105 is doped, either p or n type, in order to be one side of a pn-junction. This region has a certain volume and thickness in order to achieve the necessary doping concentration to decrease internal series resistance and contact resistance, increase carrier injection into the nanoelement 100, while increasing built-in-voltage. The low internal resistance and the increased amount of carriers due to the funnel nature vouch for a high injection of majority carriers into the nanoelement 100 already at low forward voltages. High injection of carriers into the nanoelement 100 introduces high concentrations of electron hole pairs into the nanoelement 100 increasing light emitting recombination. The high concentration of electron-hole pairs, in combination with the active region being extended into a waveguide, directing the light, can enable stimulated emission, increasing the output of the device further.

Also, when using different material compositions in the nanoelement 100 and the volume element 105, the nanoelement 100 material composition can be chosen to propagate into the volume element 105 in order to decrease the optical disturbance by the volume element-nanoelement connection. Extending the length of the nanoelement 100 in the direction of the emitted light will increase re-absorption. To decrease re-absorption the composition of the nanoelement 100 is adjusted in the direction of the emitted light in order to raise the band gap as compared to the energy of the emitted light.

One embodiment of the present invention is functional as a LED. An array of three identical such LEDs is shown in FIG. 8. An undoped intrinsically p-type GaAs nanoelement 100 with length about 2 μm and diameter about 100 nm, upstanding on a p-doped GaP substrate 110, is completely enclosed in a thin concentric layer 101 of InGaP. The concentric layer 101 is utilized to optimize the wave guiding properties and acts as a cladding layer. An insulating and transparent masking material 115, e.g. SiO₂, covers about the lower half of the nanoelement 100. Above this transparent masking material 115 and enclosing the nanoelement 100 there is an InGaP volume element 105, with a diameter of about 500 nm and a length of about 1 μm, heavily doped with Si to obtain an n⁺-type material. A top electrode 106 is deposited on the top surface and a bottom electrode 113 c is deposited on the bottom side of the substrate 110.

In another embodiment the volume element 105 top surface is covered by a first concentric dielectric layer 106 in order to store a charge, e.g. for memory devices. Referring to FIG. 9, this embodiment comprises an intrinsic nanoelement 100 upstanding on a p-type semiconductor substrate 110, a n-doped volume element 105 in a wrap around configuration, a concentric dielectric layer 101 enclosing the portion of the nanoelement 100 that is not enclosed by the volume element 105, a dielectric material 106 deposited on the top and circumferential surfaces of the volume element 105, a second concentric layer 107 c, i.e. a top electrode on the dielectric material, and a wrap around gate electrode 125. The stored charge can be read out by applying a voltage to the gate electrode 125. The charge storage dielectric may comprise an a capacitor dielectric such that a capacitor is located in electrical contact with the transistor (i.e., a DRAM-type configuration).

The nanoelement-volume element sequence may be repeated along the nanoelement 100. One embodiment is where a first n-doped volume element 105 a and second p-doped volume element 105 b share a common nanoelement 100 in-between, forming a volume element (p)-nanoelement-volume element (n) structure, shown in FIG. 10. For example, such a structure may advantageously be implemented in LEDs and diodes or as emitter-base and base-collector junctions in hetero-bipolar transistors.

Another embodiment is when a first volume element 105 a and second volume element 105 b of common conductivity type (n or p and individually ohmically connected to a circuitry) are connected through a nanoelement 100 where a non-ohmic terminal altogether forming a volume element (n)-nanoelement-volume element (n) or volume element (p)-nanoelement-volume element (p) structure, as shown in FIG. 11, whereby charge carriers of the proper type are injected into the nanoelement 100.

One embodiment of the present invention is particularly useful as a sensor. According to FIG. 12 this structure comprises two volume elements 105 a, 105 b, one n-type volume element 105 b at the bottom, in conjunction with the substrate 110, and one p⁺-type volume element 105 a arranged in a wrap around configuration on top of the nanoelement 100 that is upstanding on the substrate 110 and extending through the lower volume element 105 b. Hence a pn-junction is formed and the volume of the active region, i.e. the depletion region, appreciably coincides with the one-dimensional region in the funnel structure, close to the junction between the nanoelement 100 and the upper volume element 105 a. The one-dimensional region is easily depleted due to low doping ion concentration and low volume, since the total amount of charge moved is low. However, the high doping concentration together with a larger volume of the volume elements 105 a, 105 b gives that the depletion region will protrude into less volume and, especially, less distance in the direction of transport in the volume element 105 a. This makes it possible to design the nanoelement length to closely define the depletion region. Thereby the depletion resistance is minimized, or defined by the length of the nanoelement 100, and the main part of the active region will be in the nanoelement 100.

One embodiment comprising a heterostructure in the one dimensional nanoelement 100 is a funnel structure as the one shown in the schematic drawing in FIG. 13 and in the scanning electron microscope micrograph in FIG. 14. A one-dimensional nanoelement, comprising a first nanoelement segment 100 a of GaP, a second nanoelement segment 100 b of GaAsP and a third nanoelement segment 100 c of GaP, is upstanding on a semiconductor substrate 110. The first segment 100 a is fully enclosed in a three-dimensional GaP volume element 105. This structure decreases the injection resistance from the substrate 110 into the nanoelement segment 100 a. This is also the case in an alternative embodiment (not shown) comprising the nanoelement segment 100 a, the volume element 105 and only the nanoelement segment 100 c, all made of GaP.

A similar structure is the funnel structure shown in the schematic drawing in FIG. 15 and in the scanning electron microscope micrograph in FIG. 16, providing another embodiment of the present invention, wherein a first one-dimensional nanoelement 100 a made of GaAsP is enclosed, both on the cylindrical mantle surface and on the top, by an InGaP volume element 105. The one-dimensional nanoelement 100 b visible in FIG. 16 is grown on top of the volume element 105.

Another embodiment, similar to the embodiments referring to FIGS. 13 and 15 above, is shown in FIG. 17. In this embodiment, a patterned low resistivity layer 118, such as conductor or electrode, preferably a metal layer, is provided on the substrate 110. Layer 118 contains a small hole. A nanoelement segment 100 a fills up the hole and protrudes sufficiently to enable radial growth of the volume element 105 that is enclosing the nanoelement segment 100 a, whereby the volume element 105 forms an ohmic contact between the low resistivity layer 118 and the semiconductor device. A second nanoelement segment 100 b is upstanding from the volume element 105. In particular, this embodiment is useful when a non-conducting substrate is used and a metallic contact, preferably lithographically defined, is desired to a single crystal or high quality polycrystalline semiconductor volume element.

Another embodiment of the present invention is a light emitting device, where the nanoelement's main function is to provide a good heterojunction between a substrate 110 and a volume element 105 that normally are impossible to combine due to too large lattice mismatch, i.e. the nanoelement 100 is utilized as a very thin template bridging the incompatible materials. In FIG. 18 an undoped InGaN nanoelement 100 is grown on a n⁺ GaN/Sapphire substrate 110 through a silicon nitride mask 115 allowing for a p⁺ GaN volume element 105 on top with an optional contact 106.

A method of fabricating funnel structures is to first grow a nanoelement 100, mask the intended nanoelement 100 with a masking layer 115 and re-grow selectively the intended volume element 105, as shown in FIG. 19. The volume element 105 grows both in axial and radial directions. Hence, when the nanoelement 100 is masked partly, the nanoelement 100 becomes enclosed in the volume element 105. Appropriate masking materials are e.g. silicon nitride, silicon oxide, etc.

Considering systems where nanoelement growth is locally enhanced by a substance, as VLS grown nanowires, the ability to alter between radial and axial growth by altering growth conditions enables the procedure (nanowire growth, mask formation, and subsequent selective growth) that can be repeated to form nanoelement-volume element sequences of higher order. For systems where nanoelement growth and selective growth are not distinguished by separate growth conditions it may be better to first grow the nanoelement 100 along the length and by different selective growth steps grow different types of volume element 105 regions.

Suitable methods for growing nanowires on semiconductor substrates are described in U.S. Published Application 2003/010244. Methods of providing epitaxially grown nanowires with heterostructures are to be found in U.S. Published Application 2004/0075464. The funnel structures of the embodiments of the present invention are produced using modifications of methods according to the mentioned patent applications as described in the following.

A fabrication method according to the embodiment of the present invention will be exemplified with the fabrication of a light emitting pn-diode/array with active nanowire region(s), illustrated in FIG. 19. The method comprises the steps of:

-   -   1. definition of local catalyst/catalyst islands 130 on a p+ GaP         substrate 110 by lithography,     -   2. GaAs nanowire 100 growth from the local catalyst islands 130,     -   3. radial growth of thin InGaP concentric layer 101 around the         nanowire 100,     -   4. deposition of SiO₂ as a mask material 115,     -   5. partial etch back of mask 115 to expose the upper parts of         the nanowires 100,     -   6. selective epitaxial growth of n+ InGaP volume element 105,         and     -   7. contact 106, 113 formation on the volume element and to the         substrate, respectively.

The volume element is either doped (8) during the growth or afterwards (not shown). Concentric layers (106,101) may optionally be grown both on the volume element (105) and the nanoelement (100).

While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements within the appended claims. All publications and patent applications disclosed herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. 

1. Semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor nanoelement protruding from a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor device arranged to be electrically connectable, wherein: a masking layer is arranged on the semiconductor substrate, the masking layer comprising at least one through hole; the nanoelement is extending through the through hole; a semiconductor volume element having a larger diameter than the nanoelement is arranged in epitaxial connection to the nanoelement and expanding above the masking layer.
 2. Semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the volume element at least partly is enclosed by at least a first concentric layer.
 3. Semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the volume element is doped in order to provide a high charge carrier injection into the nanoelement and a low access resistance in an electrical connection.
 4. Semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein a pn-junction provides a recombination centre arranged to produce light whereby a LED is formed. 